Why, for instance, would the Chicago Cubs introduce a mascot who wears no pants? Why would a man jump out of an inflatable bull to propose to his girlfriend? And why, why would the Sochi Olympics make this the face of its Games?

Join me on this journey to strangetown, my friends. If mascots creep you out, beware.

Cheese Chester on the DL

But the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Cheese Chester’s injury and subsequent landing on the disabled list were a little strange.

This story by Fox Sports sums up the sequence of events pretty nicely: C.C. hurt in pierogi race, C.C. carted off the field, C.C. listed as day-to-day by Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, C.C. gets crutches and finally, C.C.’s stint on the 15-day DL is announced via Jumbotron at PNC Park.